New film explores legacy of Puerto Rican actor Raúl Juliá

This image released by PBS shows the late actor Raul Julia, the subject of a new documentary,“Raúl Juliá: The World’s a Stage.” The film is a co-presentation of American Masters and VOCES and is slated to premiere Friday on most PBS stations. (PBS via AP)

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — The influential Puerto Rican actor Raúl Juliá who opened doors for a generation of Latino artists in film and television is the subject of a new documentary.

“Raúl Juliá: The World’s a Stage” on PBS looks into the formation of Juliá from his middle-class upbringing in Puerto Rico to the streets of New York as he attempted to break into theater. The film uses rare footage of Juliá and interviews of actors like Edward James Olmos and Andy Garcia to explore Juliá’s fight to battle stereotypes and garner respect as a performer.

The documentary shows footage of him performing Shakespeare with a young Meryl Streep and his work to tackle world hunger.

The film is a co-presentation of American Masters and VOCES and slated to premiere Friday on most PBS stations.

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